The Future of Innovation

The Future Of Innovation ... Utilising Hardship

Mr Sabri Saidam

Utilizing hardship: Will need and conflict be the mother(s) of innovation?

In a fast moving world of development in internet connectivity, science and technology; the global notion towards an innovation-blended knowledge building is emerging as a turning point in the intellectual evolution of mankind. Being positively different is the rule that governs human's innovation race.

Innovational success on the other hand means one should be a leader in inducing different ideas pioneering constructive change. Yet for a society to succeed in its innovational quest, it has to be capable of utilizing human knowledge for the engineering of a more prosperous and dignified human life. It should also be one that collectively utilizes human suffering to deploy societal determination in producing better environmental, social, economic and intellectual advancement..

It's certainly true that communities' success in establishing knowledge-based and innovative societies is affected by educational, political, economic and social challenges. It's equally true that aspects of instability exerted by political unrests, wars and conflicts; are often perceived to play major role in delaying all development aspects inclusive of e-Transformation. Moreover, the emergence and dominance of conflict and poverty often affect local priorities and impose a compulsory move from development to relief with attention given to more pressing issues of concern. Little or no attention and funding become available for the adoption and introduction of new technologies and innovation, let alone the usual scarcity of funds for basic services and infrastructural support. Such decline and lack of governmental control induces a rapid decline in service provision and an evident retardation of societal intellectual capital and hence, giving way to the prevalence of ignorance and extremism which directly feed into the superiority and dominance of conflict.

Conflict is thus the source of pains, losses and severe anxiety. Its existence and prevalence act as major deterrence to individual as well as societal achievements, creativity and most importantly survival.

Conflict to many is however, an inducer of human initiation of survival attempts, plans and policies. It surprisingly gets coupled with the adaptation mechanisms and possible innovation that serve to convert the pressure of conflict into a catalyst for human achievement in defiance of such pressure and consequent devastation.

Innovation should therefore be a tool for survival and life continuity under conflict, poverty and human hardship. Human determination is an asset that should be best invested to facilitate the emergence of more connected societies whose fabric becomes consolidated with communications' and information access as well as wider dissemination of ICT into citizen's lives even on the governance level!

Yes 'need' could well be the mother of innovation! Living examples from countries around the world showed communities that rose out of the ashes. Even communities which were deeply affected by years of wars and disputes made a serious come back. Therefore, the future of innovation should invest in determination, persistence and the will to live!